All-Terrain Vehicles (ATV's) are designed to be able to manoeuvre off-road and typically in rough and uneven terrain such as rocky areas, wooded areas, wetlands and sand dunes or beaches. One of the features which typical enables an ATV to handle these varied terrains is the use of large low pressure tires at the front and rear of the ATV. Large low pressure tires provide sizeable surface areas to allow the ATV to progress on very soft terrains such as mud and provide added grip on difficult terrains. Large low pressure tires also attempt provide an increased level of absorption of shocks and impacts thereby adding to the comfort level of the rider and/or passenger in some cases.
Another important feature of a typical ATV which allows it to handle multiple environments is its compactness. ATV's typically feature narrow wheeltracks and short wheelbases enabling them to manoeuvre in dense wooded area and through tight passageways.
The combination of a narrow wheeltrack and short wheelbase with large low pressure balloon-type tires considerably restricts the layout options of the mechanical components of the ATV as well as the leg room of the rider and/or passenger on a two person vehicle. FIGS. 13 and 14 illustrate the bodywork of an existing ATV. The driver's legs are accommodated on each side of the straddle-type seat with his feet resting on foot pegs or short platforms both being restricted to a small area between the front tires and the rear tires. The large rear tires, the rear suspension components and the rear drive train components leave little or no room to provide more leg room and footrest area behind the front portion of the rear tires or ahead of the rear portion of the front tires. As illustrated in FIGS. 13 and 14, ATV's typically comprise large rear fenders covering and separating the rear wheels from the driver's and passenger's legs on a two-person vehicle. These fenders usually extend to the seat to completely isolate the rear wheels and drive train from the occupants, thereby closing the entire space behind the front portion of the rear wheels. The rear fenders are often an integral part of the bodywork of the ATV to achieve an aesthetically pleasing design.
One drawback of an ATV configuration where the rear end of the vehicle is not accessible is that the footrest area is limited to a small space located between the front and rear wheels. The rider's ability to shift his weight is restricted to movements of his upper body with his feet remaining in basically the same position. When seated, the rider can affect the center of gravity of the ATV generally only through movements of his torso. When standing on the footrests, the rider can affect the center of gravity of the ATV through movements of his pelvis and torso but generally only within the bounds imposed by the footrests' limited areas. The rider can affect the center of gravity of the ATV by removing one foot or both feet from the footrests and resting his knee or knees directly on the straddle-type seat however this is obviously an unstable and ultimately unsafe stance it may lead to injuries.
Another drawback of a prior art ATV configuration with large tires comprising rear wheel fenders and bodywork extending over the entire rear suspension and drive train, closing the entire volume between the rear wheels and under the straddle-type seat is that the access to the seat of the ATV is limited to the sides of the ATV. The driver and/or the passenger on a two-person vehicle, can only mount the ATV by raising one leg over the seat in order to sit in a straddled position on the vehicle. It is difficult to mount the ATV any other way as there is limited access from the rear due to the rear wheel fenders and bodywork and no access from the front due to the handlebars.
Therefore, there is a need for an improved ATV to alleviate some of the drawbacks of prior art ATV.